Smoked Duck Breast Recipe

A gourmet salad with duck and spiced pears from U.K. cookbook writer and chef Lindy Wildsmith. This recipe can be made with commercially smoked duck breast, but if you have got into the smoking habit, try hot smoking your own and serve it warm.

Step 1: For the spiced pears, put the pear cider vinegar, ginger, garlic, cumin, bay leaf, star anise, mace, salt and sugar in a saucepan and bring to simmering point. Cook gently until the sugar has dissolved, then increase the heat and boil for 5 minutes to reduce.

Step 2: Peel the pears, cut in half, and poach in the spiced syrup until tender. Reserve two pear halves and slice them for this recipe, and transfer the rest to a sterile jar and seal.

Step 3: Put the thyme leaves, oils, vinegar, honey and salt in a screw-top jar, replace the lid, and shake well. Taste and adjust as necessary.

Step 5: Either divide the salad between four plates and arrange the pears and the duck breast on the side, sprinkled with the walnut pieces, or arrange the duck and pears on top of the salad and serve from the salad bowl.